Lina Toyoda was born in Tokyo, Japan, and grew up on the west coast of Canada. She has played in an all-female rock band, was an award-winning journalist, and has worked in video production in the cities of Toronto, Vancouver, B.C., and Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a fiction writer and a psychotherapist who currently lives and works in downtown Toronto. Her first novel is a historical fantasy for middle-grade readers which weaves traditional Japanese mythology, adventure and magic. Her stories centre around her cultural identity and are filled with eccentric ideas often inspired by her dreams.